The Freshmen
by rectanglecurve
Summary: Introverted, misanthropic Edward has never shown any interest in having friends. However, when he encounters a group of beautiful students at his new school, he cannot help but feel intrigued by them. What is he willing to do to prove himself?
1. The Freshmen

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight and any of its characters. I do no own any songs that I may borrow lyrics from.

Summary: Introverted, misanthropic Edward has never shown any interest in having friends. However, when he encounters a group of beautiful, magnificent students at his new school, he cannot help but feel intrigued and drawn to them. When simple infractions of the law evolve into dangerous and life-threatening scandal, Edward involves himself in something well beyond anything he's ever experienced. How far is he willing to go to prove himself to them?

AU-AH with some OOC, some not canon pairings with some eventual canon pairings, addition of some new (made-up) characters, written primarily in Edward's POV.

Rated for language, underage drinking, and some sexual themes. Rating is subject to change based on the writing.

an: I started this story because I was listening to my iTunes on shuffle (Genius is the greatest thing ever created) and this song came up. Currently, it's something to assuage my writer's block for 'First Day of My Life' (also stolen from a song title), which is currently on hiatus with the exception of the soon-to-be latest, nearly-complete post. This story was somewhat inspired by the song "The Freshmen." No, they are not actually freshmen; the title is just derived from the song. I took this story in quite a different direction, so fair warning. (And as stated in the summary, there are some non-canon pairings, so BEWARE if that won't sit well with you.)

_For the life of me, I cannot remember  
What made us think that we were wise and we'd never compromise  
For the life of me, I cannot believe we'd ever die for these sins  
We were merely freshmen_

_We've tried to wash our hands of all of this  
We never talk of our lack in relationships  
And how we're guilt stricken sobbin' with our heads on the floor  
We fell through the ice when we tried not to slip, we'd say _

-The Verve Pipe, "The Freshmen"


	2. How's It Going to Be

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

_I want to get out of this  
I wonder is there anything  
I'm going to miss  
I wonder how it's going to be _

-Third Eye Blind, "How's It Going to Be"

I walked up to the oversized brick building that I would learn to regard as a second home for my senior year. The Trinity School was situated on 91st Street in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Regarded as one of the most prestigious schools in the country, I should have felt lucky to be there. Instead, I felt awkward.

As I walked past groups of kids talking about their summers, I detected a distinct barrier around me. Everywhere I walked, people seemed to part leaving a five-foot radius around me of empty space. I sensed the transition from stories about St. Bart's to whispers about me. I felt the stares of the entire student body burn through me as a slowly walked through the crowds towards the entrance of the school.

I stared at my new peers. They looked like ordinary students. Not at all what I expected when I discovered I was moving to New York. Generally, everything seemed pretty similar to the suburban Midwest I had become accustomed to over the year, except the metropolitan environment. I grew to love Chicago and its suburbs. It was a fantastic city, but it paled in comparison to New York. Plus, even in Chicago, I had spent most of my time in the suburbs with my two-story house and expansive green lawns. It was a drastic change to our new Midtown apartment.

Not to say the apartment wasn't nice, because it definitely was. Very nice, duplex-penthouse-overlooking-Central-Park nice. My family had money. I grew up in wealth, so we could afford Manhattan easily. The cost of living was not the shocker for me. It was the attitude of the inhabitants. It wasn't the homey, welcoming warmth of the Midwest. Everyone just seemed so callous and distant. I liked it.

I turned my head to glance around me. Everyone had their eyes directed towards me. Well, everyone except a small group of kids leaning up against the wall. They seemed totally immersed in their own conversation and hadn't appeared to even have noticed me.

These kids did not look like ones from my old school. They all possessed perfect, haughty features. It was obvious from the way they dressed and held themselves that they were quite wealthy and privileged. They maintained a sense of regality. Everyone surrounding them kept a safe distance away. Not the way they were with me—cautious as if observing a strange animal, but instead with a sense of reverence; they owned the school, yet they didn't even seem to care.

A beautiful blonde girl with long, flowing locks shifted her gaze to join the rest of her classmates' stares. She settled her piercing violet eyes on me. I shuddered. There was a power and intensity that frightened me. She lightly nudged her neighbor, a blond boy of equal attractiveness. He gave me a dismissive look before resuming his conversation with a muscular boy, who had a meaty arm draped over a chestnut-haired girl. This girl engaged a small, black-haired sprite-like girl. She had her hands intertwined with a boy of dark, startling features. Others in the group included a lanky guy with sandy hair, a gorgeous redhead, a WASP-y looking blonde, and a severe-looking boy who appeared to be half-Caucasian and half-African-American.

The blonde had stopped looking at me and began to whisper in her neighbor's ear. He laughed and bent his head down to lightly nip her lip. She giggled and leaned into his chest.

There. That was it. The ephemeral moment of attention I had seized from them was over.

_Why do you care anyway? You hate attention._

I shook my head. This was true. I hated being the center of attention. Generally, I hated people. I felt that most of my peers had little to offer me. I preferred to listen to the words of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Camus instead. I would rather hear the sounds of Debussey, Schubert, Liszt, and Wagner than my classmates' shrill laughter. I did two things exceptionally well: play the piano and run. Both were used to clear my head and isolate me from others. I had few friends. Very few people resolved to put up with temperament and brooding.

I ran a hand through my bronze hair tousling it more than necessary. I stared at my driving moccasins and readjusted my black leather messenger bag on my shoulder. With one deep breath, I stepped into the school knowing nearly everyone's stares still fixated upon me.

For the next week, my days consisted of a repeat of the first day of school coupled with a five-mile jog in Central Park afterwards and three hours of composition and practice. The intensity of everyone's stares had settled down, and the radius of the bubble around me shrank slightly. People slowly began to ignore me rather than ostracizing me. A few brave individuals had even mustered the courage to approach me.

_Hah, what a mistake._

They were all girls. Silly girls who giggled incessantly at any word I uttered from my lips. They disgusted me. I had caught the eye of several girls, some of which were pretty attractive. This was not a surprise. Their desires would eventually subside when they realized I had no interest in them whatsoever.

Women were not a priority for me. I was not as testosterone-driven as the rest of my male peers. Perhaps, this was due to the fact that I didn't need to try to get laid. There was no thrill of the chase fueling my motives. If I wanted ass, I'd hop my dad's jet to Paris and pick up a gorgeous French supermodel. That was the extent of my relationships. My parents worried that I was too introverted, too full of resentment for the world. They didn't see what I saw in people. That's why Carlisle dedicated his life to helping save others and why Esme committed herself to philanthropy. Carlisle and Esme saw beauty and hope in every single individual. I saw inferiority and worthlessness.

On Friday, I found myself sitting at the same corner table in the cafeteria like I had all week. I stared across at the lunchroom. I settled my eyes on the beautiful group of kids I had observed the first day. Besides the blonde girl's initial glance, they had not spared a second look. I had math with the blond boy, Jasper Whitlock, and P.E. with the burly one, Emmett McCarty. They both managed to seize the center of attention whether trying or not. Jasper was witty, constantly providing cynical commentary for anything said. The teacher loathed him but let him get away with his constant texts and phone calls on his Blackberry Storm despite Trinity's strict no cell phone policy. I've attributed the teacher's lenience to Jasper's perfect scores on every single test, quiz, or assignment in the school's top level math class. Emmett, on the other hand, received constant praise from our gym teacher. They appeared to be best friends, frequently bumping fists and chest thumping. Emmett's athleticism was really exceptional, even I had to admit, but it really didn't surprise me. Camdyn, the redhead, was in my English class along with the severe looking boy, Landon. The two spoke exclusively to each other whispering back and forth in the back of the room. I watched everyone in my class look enviously upon them longing evident in their eyes that they wanted to be part of the private group. None of them had yet to speak to me.

I watched as a group of loud students rushed into the lunchroom. I recognized a few of them from my classes but really had no interest in befriending them. I picked delicately at the sandwich on my lunch tray. It was barely touched. However, I didn't feel hungry anymore. I pushed aside the tray; I had the whole table to myself so there was plenty of room. I grabbed the apple and decided I would eat that instead. I took a bite from it enjoying the tartness.

Suddenly, the pixie-girl appeared at my table. Her tiny body was clad in a fitted black t-shirt and a pair of indigo skinny jeans that stood in stark contrast against her smooth, ivory skin. She gazed at me intensely with her grey eyes. Her lips formed a thin line and her short, black hair framed her thin face. Her expression was unreadable. Her small palms were placed on the table on either side of my tray leaning over my uneaten sandwich. Though so petite, she was surprisingly daunting. I looked at her shocked and swallowed the chewed fruit in my mouth.

"Edward Cullen?" she spoke, her voice clear and bright.

I nodded my head slowly. Her pink lips formed a small smirk.

"We've been watching you."

* * *

an: Thoughts? Sorry, if this wasn't for you. Nevertheless, I enjoyed writing it.


	3. No Such Thing

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight including the characters and plot. I do not own/am affiliated with Twilight in any way. I also do not own any songs or lyrics I embed into the story.

_"Welcome to the real world", she said to me  
Condescendingly  
Take a seat  
Take your life  
Plot it out in black and white  
Well I never lived the dreams of the prom kings  
And the drama queens  
I'd like to think the best of me  
Is still hiding  
Up my sleeve_

_They love to tell you  
Stay inside the lines  
But something's better  
On the other side_

-John Mayer, "No Such Thing"

She picked up my tray and began walking away with it. She didn't say anything else. She had just picked up and left. I didn't understand what was going on.

_Was this some immature, sadistic form of bullying?_

I stood up and attempted to follow her but stumbled over the chairs that cluttered around my empty table. She expertly maneuvered her way through the cafeteria, or perhaps, it only seemed that way since everyone seemed to step aside in worship as she passed. Once she stopped, she dropped the tray on the table in front of her. It clanked loudly. Not a single person seated at the table even flinched. They just turned their beautiful faces towards me. No one had any food in front of them. The small girl pulled out a seat across from the blonde girl that I recognized from the first day of school and gestured me to sit. I clumsily did. She filled the empty chair next to the blonde on the other side of the rectangular table. They just stared at me in silence. It felt like an evaluation in front of a tribunal.

"Go ahead," the blonde girl directed, "Eat."

I pushed away my tray, but not with as much force as I had earlier. I don't know why, but I felt like I should avoid invading her personal space.

"I'm good."

"No, you should eat."

It sounded like a command.

"That's okay. Not that hungry. You guys aren't eating either."

I cocked my head toward their bare table.

"We went out to lunch at Lisca during 5th period."

"Well, this apple's enough."

I took another bite from the apple for added emphasis. She looked amused at my defiance.

"Then, you're done with this?" Jasper, sitting next to the blonde, drawled.

I nodded. He caught the eye of the sandy haired boy, who was seated closest to me, and nodded his head towards my lunch.

"Carter, you heard him. He's _done_," the blonde said.

The boy instantly grabbed the tray and discarded the contents. He came back and returned to his chair. The blonde snapped her fingers towards the other, more WASP-y looking blonde.

"Leigh," she commanded.

Leigh immediately reached into her oversized metallic purse and handed the blonde a manila file folder. She flipped it open.

"Edward Masen Cullen," she began reading, "Only son of Carlisle and Esme Cullen. Moved here from Evanston, Illinois less than a month ago. Oh, and to a beautiful apartment down on Central Park South. Stunning supposedly. Father is a surgeon at New York Presbyterian, where mother serves on the board. Ah, they are the artsy types. They are members of the President's Circle at the Met. Looks like they also have season tickets to the Opera House. You know, there are several Puccini shows this season. They're supposed to be very good. The ABT season is also shaping up nicely. They should try to get tickets for that, too. They also seem to be very into philanthropy. How very Bill-and-Melinda-Gates of them. Your dad started a free clinic back in Chicago and your mom began a foundation for terminally ill children. Well, that's definitely more conventional than Brangelina."

_How did they have all this information? This is a severe invasion of privacy._

"Formerly in the running for valedictorian at your old school. All AP courses this year in addition to the several you took last year. Top marks in each, including 5's. 2370 on your SATs. Impressive, but our Jazz and Bells here topped that."

She gestured towards Jasper and the chestnut-haired girl.

_How the fuck did they get this? They would have had to hack into…no, there's no way._

"What the—," I blurted out.

She continued flipping through pages.

"Varsity track freshmen year. Pretty fucking fast, may I note? You got third in state. After that, it looks like you dropped off the face of the school activity scene. Hm, why's that, Eddie? It's not like you stopped running. Or are 5-mile loops through Central Park much more preferable than the school track? A piano prodigy, too. You actually played a concert at Lincoln Center at age 9. Participated in nation _and _international competitions. Winning said competitions. Good, that's what we like to see. Seems like your most recent composition is a lullaby."

My eyes grew wider. This was extremely private information, completely classified. I leaned forward and began reaching for the file. Immediately, Carter and Landon restrained me on either side grabbing my arms and pulling me back down into the chair. She pulled the folder closer to her chest and further from my sight. She stuck up a scolding finger and clicked her tongue.

"My, my, Edward. Didn't Esme ever teach you it's not polite to grab?"

I settled back into the chair still on edge.

"How do you have all that stuff about me?" I sputtered.

"Ah, don't underestimate us. We know _everything_."

"Apparently," I scoffed.

She turned to Jasper.

"This kid's got an attitude, wouldn't you say, Jasper?"

"Yes, he definitely does have some spunk, Rosalie. It's actually a bit endearing."

_Rosalie. So, that's her name._

She turned back to face me and cleared her throat.

"You've caught our interest, Edward. We've been observing you, and you're still quite an enigma to us despite all this shit we've found on. First off, you're good-looking, very good-looking. Yet, you appear to have no interest in any girls here even the ones throwing themselves at you."

Jasper continued where she left off.

"Secondly, you seem to always be alone, and you don't seem to mind it. You've made no effort for any interactions with anyone here. And last, you seem even more indifferent than us about all this stupid shit. We're intrigued, which is unusual. We're not easily intrigued. You've accomplished a nearly impossible feat. We **don't** get mystified."

Emmett filled in for them.

"Basically, what Rose and Jasper are saying is: we'd like to see how you fare…with us. A test run, if you must. Like those 30-day computer software trials."

I stared at them dumbfounded. This _was_ a tribunal meeting. They were deciding about _me_. And the verdict was I had passed, been lucky enough to even be presented with the opportunity to be around _them_. They began to go around the table introducing themselves.

"I'm Rosalie Hale."

"Jasper Whitlock."

"Emmett McCarty."

"Bella Swan."

"Camdyn Stein."

"Landon Buchanan."

"Carter Sharpe."

"Leigh Crawford."

"Brody Tomlinson."

"And Alice Brandon."

She flashed me a grin to let her know she had thoroughly enjoyed messing with me earlier. Rosalie stuck out a delicate, French-manicured hand. I took it apprehensively and shook it lightly.

"Welcome."


	4. Shadowland

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. The bands own all their lyrics and songs. I own nothing except my random ideas.

an: I realize that the song I chose for this chapter would be much more fitting for the first chapter, and the first chapter would be much better for this. But that's okay. I'm glad you guys are fascinated by this. Thanks for putting up with my weird ass plot ideas.

_Released under watchful skies into a town I didn't recognize  
I was a tourist with no story, lost in this purgatory_

-Youth Group, "Shadowland"

I looked around at the table again not knowing exactly what to expect. The serious looks on everyone's faces made me feel like I should brace myself for some secret initiation ritual. But then didn't do anything. They just sat there and looked right back at me.

_And they thought __**I **__was an enigma._

I had no idea what about these people drew me to them like a moth to a flame. I felt like Raskolnikov being sucked into Porfiry's psychological traps. Everything in my nature insisted I shrug off their offer and continue my efficient life of solitude. I didn't even _like_ people. In fact, I hated everything these kids personified: social hierarchy, materialism, superficiality. Or at least I thought I did. Or were those the things they actually represented? They claim indifference to the pettiness of the inner workings of high school just like I do. But were they actually apathetic? All my observations told me no, but for some unknown reason, my gut told me yes. I felt some sickening attraction to this group. Maybe they weren't easily mystified, but I was actually _never_ intrigued by people until now for some incomprehensible reason. They were the elite, the crème de' le' crème, the _epitome_ of social hierarchy and high school pettiness. However, I wasn't quite sure if that was their intention. Had they sought out this "position" or had it been thrust upon them due to their silver spoons? They did distance themselves from everyone else the way I did, but they did it out of arrogance.

_But that's what you do, too. You think you're too good to be around ordinary people._

I guess I did feel I was too good for everyone else, which is why I hated humanity. They just weren't worth the time. People symbolized inadequacy.

_So how are you any different from them? I'm not then, I guess. You're just a cocky sonuvabitch, too._

They stared at me expectantly as if they had anticipated my internal debate. Rosalie continued to gaze at me with steely determination. She didn't move at all. I don't even think I caught her blinking once. I couldn't even see or hear her breathing. Jasper was developing a bored look on his face, as was Emmett. Alice peered curiously as if trying to interpret my thoughts. Bella stared wistfully at the rest of the cafeteria. Leigh picked anxiously at her fingernails. Camdyn uttered a small squeak of a yawn, while both Landon and Carter shifted nervously in their seats beside me. Other than Camdyn's little noise, the table was absolutely silent. The silence was deafening. It almost seemed to drown out the rest of the lunchroom dyne.

Finally, I broke the tension.

"Okay. I'm in. What does 'in' entail?"

Rosalie broke into a slight grin.

"You'll see."

"Rose, you make it sound much more intense than it actually is. We're not like the fucking Skull and Bones club," Jasper added.

"Pretty damn close," Emmett muttered.

Bella elbowed him and shot him a glare.

_What the hell? What the fuck have I gotten into?_

Jasper laughed awkwardly, I speculated, in order to shrug off Emmett's little comment.

"So, I'm assuming we hang out? I mean, I've never been part of a group per se. But I heard that's what happens? You know like get togethers and what not."

Alice giggled.

"Yes, friends tend to hang out."

"And especially since it's a Friday night, we will be 'hanging out. Oh, and FYI, Evanston, this will not be your ordinary Midwestern shindig,'" Rosalie mocked.

"Okay, so should I get your guys' numbers or something?"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my Blackberry. At that moment, the bell rang to dismiss everyone from lunch to class. They all began getting up apparently oblivious to my question. I decided to repeat my request.

"Uh, so numbers?"

"Oh, don't worry. We'll be in touch," Rosalie called out already making her way through the double doors to her next class, the sea of students parting as her high heels clicked against the ground.

In that instant, I felt completely alone again. This was the most bizarre lunch I had ever experienced.

After school, I went home in a surprisingly happier mood. Obviously, I knew the source of this joy. I was instantly disgusted with myself. I had become one of those kids I absolutely loathed—desperate to impress and fit in and giddy from any sign of attention given their way. I was just another pathetic wannabe. I don't know what it was about these people that caused me to alter my entire mentality.

My face must have been contorted in some despicable expression, because as soon as Esme spotted me, a look or concern passed over her brow.

"Edward, sweetie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

I threw my bag down onto the marble floor of the foyer. I walked into my room and locked the door. The room was twice the size of the normal bedroom, because Esme insisted that they bulldoze the wall between two bedrooms so my piano could fit. Then, Carlisle forced them to soundproof the room, so I wouldn't keep him up with my midnight practicing.

I stretched out my slender fingers onto the ivory keys. I closed my eyes and poured out all my emotion into the music, all the happiness, sadness, anger, and disgust. Ten measures, twenty measures, then fifty measures blossomed from this maelstrom of feelings. Immediately, I grabbed my ballpoint pen and started scribbling on manuscript. I scrawled anything I could remember and willed my fingers to replay the same notes over and over again so I could write it all down. During my final measures, my Blackberry vibrated violently against the piano. I scanned the screen. It was an unidentified number.

"Hello?"

"Edward."

My perfect pitch recognized Rosalie's sharp tone and feminine pitch.

"Rosalie."

"Good ears, at least you can tell it's me. I guess all those years of piano paid off, music man."

"Yeah. I guess."

"Meet us at Cain Luxe at 11:30 tonight. That's in Chelsea for the clueless. Dress appropriately for clubbing."

"Do I need to bring anything?"

"Cash. Plenty of it."

The line clicked dead.

_Sketchy ass phone call, much?_

I got up from the piano bench and sat on my king sized bed grabbing my Mac Book Pro from off the ground. I pulled up Google and typed in 'Cain Luxe.' It had just been renovated and was considered one of the 'hip' places to be. I rolled my eyes.

_What had I gotten myself into? Seriously? Clubbing? And I thought they were more interesting than that. Whatever. I'll see how this goes._

Despite defying all my principles, I conceded to go. I shut my laptop and took a deep yawn. I was awfully tired. I checked my phone for the time. It was a little past 6. I had plenty of time to shower and get dressed before going. I convinced myself I could take a quick nap. I let my heavy eyelids droop slowly into sleep.


	5. All Mixed Up

Disclaimer: Do not own Twilight. I also don't own 311 unfortunately.

_You've got to trust your instinct  
And let go of regret  
You've got to bet on yourself now star  
'Cause that's your best bet  
Watch me now with a wicked and wild and I said  
We come with the funky style that gets us known for the show  
And we'll mix the hip hop reggae if we say it is so  
And fuck the naysayers cause they don't mean a thing  
Cause this is what style we bring  
Now it's morning butlast night's on my mind  
There's something I need to get off my chest  
And no matter what may come to shine  
The dream will always be mine  
All mixed up, you don't know what to do  
Next thing you turn around and find the person is you  
Thought a freak might be the thing  
But the first could be the last, so just get off of your ass_

-311, "All Mixed Up"

I shook my head out of my slumber. Groggily I grabbed my phone of the nightstand to check to time: 10:45.

_Shit. Had I really slept for nearly five fucking hours? How does a nap turn into like a night's worth of rest?_

I hopped off my bed and rushed into the shower. I took probably the quickest shower in my life. I grabbed a pair of dark rinse jeans and a blue-striped button-down from my oversized walk-in closet. I slipped my Cartier tank onto my wrist and stuffed my phone into the back pocket of my jeans. After digging in one of my desk drawers, I found a wad of cash and grabbed dozens of Benjamins from the stack. I rushed into the kitchen with my hair still soaking wet and my shirt unbuttoned. A loaf of French bread sat on the counter. I ripped a large chunk off and shoved it haphazardly into my mouth. I slipped on my driving mocs from earlier and departed down the elevator. On Central Park South, my doorman hailed me a cab, and I stepped in, a feeling of uneasiness hitting my stomach.

"Cain Luxe in Chelsea," I directed the driver awkwardly.

_What was I doing? I honestly don't know anymore._

It didn't occur to me until I had gotten into the cab that I should have brought my ID.

_Not like it would do my any good. I don't think 18 qualifies as 21 even for the mathematically challenged._

I had no idea what I was going to do once I got there. Obviously, I couldn't get into the club.

_Oh, oh well. You tried. They can't blame you. This gives you an easy out. That's what you wanted, isn't it? Yeah, I guess so._

I sat nervously in the back of the taxi nervously wringing my hands for the duration of the car ride. I don't know why I cared so much. Finally, we came to a stop. I paid the driver and got out. I saw them all standing there on the curb already. They all looked incredibly glamorous. Rosalie was examining her cell phone wearing only a low-cut shirt (or was it a dress?) and black leggings. She tapped one of her sky-high heels impatiently against the sidewalk. Her eyes flicked up at me.

"Just on time, newbie."

I checked my watch. It was precisely 11:30.

"Uh, you guys," I said in a hushed whisper so the bouncer couldn't hear me, "I don't have my ID, let alone a fake ID."

"Oh please, Evanston. You thought we were going to leave to task to you? We got you covered," Rosalie scoffed.

Emmett pulled a small card from his pocket and handed it to me. It had my face and everything along with an age over 21.

_Looks like you don't have an easy out, kid._

For some sick reason, I was happy for that, too.

We all approached the bouncer. I stared down at the long line wrapped along the side of the club wondering how long we were going to have to wait before getting it. To my dismay, Jasper exchanged a few words with the bouncer and flashed him an ID. The bouncer nodded and let him bypass the line and walk by, moving on to examine Rosalie's ID next. He nodded again, and she sashayed in. Slowly down the line, all my new friends were granted entrance. Butterflies began fluttering up in my stomach.

_What if he doesn't let you in? In all likeliness, they were probably frequents at this club, so the bouncer knew them and didn't care. I mean, they are obviously VIPs since they got to skip the line. You're just an unknown face._

Alice appeared at my side.

"Don't worry. You're with us."

It was like she read my mind. She shoved me in front of her and assumed the last place in line instead. It was my turn. I handed him my fake ID. He took and stared at it. His gaze went back and forth between the card and my face. I held my breath.

_I don't recall him taking this long to look at any of their IDs. He knows it's fake. He knows. He's going to kick me out right now. Well, I'm actually not inside yet. So, he's going to kick me to the curb instead. Shit, shit, shit._

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally handed me the ID back and let me walk by. I exhaled sharply. I stepped inside and took in my surroundings. There were lots of beautiful people, and the music was blaring. Moments later, Alice entered next to me.

"Let's go find the others. But first, let's hit up the bar."

She grabbed my hand and led me through the throngs of people. She found the bar and placed an order for a cosmo. She turned to me and asked me if I wanted anything. I shook my head. She ignored it and told the bartender to make me a screwdriver, an extra-strong one. He asked to see my ID, since I was new. It was still in my hand from when the bouncer handed it back to me outside. He glanced at it quickly. My guess not even actually looking at it but doing it as part of protocol.

"Put in on our tab," she told him.

He reappeared with our drinks. I took a sip of it and instantly recognized the vodka. Alice guided me to a different area where people were seated. I saw everyone else there drinks in hand. Jasper and Rosalie were in mid-make out. They were the most beautiful couple I had ever seen. They were the most attractive two people I had laid eyes on. They were literally the 'golden couple'; their flaxen hair shining even in the dark setting. It was like Ares and Aphrodite, except this time there was no Hephaestus to humiliate them in the act. Alice skipped over and sat down on Brody's lap. He leaned in to kiss her neck. Their black hair blended together in the darkness. I sat down next to Emmett.

"These kids," he chuckled, nodding towards the affectionate couples.

"Yeah," I said lamely.

There was a long pause.

"Do you not have a girlfriend?"

He looked at me as if the word was completely foreign to him.

"Uh, no. Not my thing really, being tied down. I mean, Bella and I hook up a lot. But we are in no way exclusive or dating or any of that shit. We just help each other scratch an itch we both have."

I looked up to find Bella grinding against some random guy. Her chestnut hair was flung around everywhere. She was wearing a pair of tight, black skinny jeans and a nearly backless top. There was something mesmerizing about the way she gyrated and danced. I couldn't keep my eyes off her. Emmett noticed my staring. He laughed.

"Hot, huh?"

I nodded weakly.

"Yeah, imagine that thing in bed. Wild. If you're lucky enough, you might get to experience firsthand sometime."

With that, he got up and went to talk up some brunette that had been previously eyeing him. Immediately, he waved over a waiter and directed him to bring her a new drink. Probably putting in on their tab.

I surveyed for everyone else that I came with. Most were out dancing and mingling about the other beautiful people in the room. I decided that I might as well make the best of the situation. I walked out onto the dance floor and interjected myself between Bella and the random guy. He looked pissed but turned around to find another girl to dance with. I placed my hands on her slender waist. I leaned down and pushed her hair aside from her ear.

"You looked so fucking sexy dancing that I had to come over here."

Her chocolate brown eyes found my own green eyes. She stared at me for a few brief seconds before resuming dancing. There was something so powerful behind that stare. Like I felt an instant connection. She didn't say anything. Instead, she pressed her body against mine, grinding against me. My hands roamed all over her lower body: her waist, her hips, her ass, her thighs.

We continued to dance for awhile. Everything around me seemed to melt away. Finally, I was exhausted and extricated myself from the mass of people. I left a lingering touch on her bare shoulders. I walked back over where everyone had been seated previously. Rosalie was talking to some sketchy ass guy. He had dark hair and dark eyes with a face full of thick black hair. She whispered into his ear quickly then gave him a knowing look. He stared at her for a few minutes as if trying to read her thoughts, but she was completely impenetrable. Finally, he nodded slowly. She turned around to flash Jasper a sly smile. He nodded in approval smiling. She got up, and slid his arms around her waist. She saw me and swaggered over to me.

"Get ready, Evanston. We're about to leave."

I looked down at my watch, my eyes straining in the dark. It read 1:30.

_What? Already? I thought they were way more exciting than that. This is child's play._

They walked away to wrangle everyone up. Eventually, we all congregated. Everyone seemed to have solemn looks on their faces, except Jasper who looked absolutely thrilled. We left the club. I approached the curb to hail a cab, but Emmett grabbed me by the shirt collar and pulled me back.

"Not so fast, kid. This isn't even close to the end of the night."


	6. The Kids Don't Stand A Chance

an: Here it is! I really appreciate the reviews. Thanks so much.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. Ezra Koenig and the rest of Vampire Weekend own their lyrics.

_The pin-striped men of morning  
Are coming for to dance  
Forty-million dollars  
The kids don't stand a chance_

I didn't like the business,  
But that was at first glance  
Your pillow feels so soft now  
But still you must advance

-Vampire Weekend, "The Kids Don't Stand A Chance"

I awoke in a small room. It was scarcely lit by one small light hanging in the center of the ceiling. I was slumped against the wall in the corner. I scanned the room with my eyes. There was a small bar along the wall, where Emmett was getting a drink from. There were a few small tables with some scattered chairs. But what I noticed the most was a green felt card table in the center of the room. Jasper was seated there with a large stack of chips in front of him. Landon was seated next to him with a large but smaller stack. Rosalie was massaging Jasper's shoulders. Bella appeared from a door against the wall stumbling out. Everyone else was sporadically throughout the dinghy room. Alice magically appeared by my side again.

_How the fuck does she keep doing that?_

She looked like me with a look of concern.

"Are you okay?"

I rubbed my forehead with my hand.

"Uh, yeah. But what the fuck happened? Where are we?"

She smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry about that. That was me. I just pushed on one of pressure points until you became unconscious."

I stared at her stunned.

_This little girl? Really?_

"Why?"

"Well, we don't know how much you can know, how much you can be trusted, so we had to knock you out so you couldn't find out all the intimate details."

"Okay…so, where are we?"

"You see that blond guy over there? With the long hair sleeked back into a ponytail and the leather jacket."

I followed her gaze and spotted who she was talking about. I nodded slowly.

"Well, that's Aro. This is his underground club. Very exclusive."

_And very sketch_.

"They are about ready to play. Over there. You can join them."

She directed me to the table and to an empty seat next to Jasper. I sat down hesitantly.

"You brought cash, I assume. Like Rosalie said to."

I nodded and pulled out the wad from my pocket.

"Kid's got cash. Here, hook him up."

Someone instantly walked over and snatched my bills and placed chips in front of me.

"You play poker, Edward?"

"Not really."

"Well, I suppose the real question is _can_ you play poker. And can you play it _well_?"

"I'm not real big on it, but I've done well in the past."

"Okay. Well, I hope you can continue that."

"So, is this what you guys do? Play cards?"

"This isn't just card, kid. This is fucking Texas Hold 'Em."

"So, like do you card count or something?"

"First off, this isn't blackjack; it's poker. Secondly, we're not fucking Ben Mezrich and his MIT brats. We play. And we play for keeps. You think you can handle this?"

"Yeah, I think I can."

The dark-haired, greasy guy from the bar walked over to the table. He brought over a deck of cards and sat down. He began shuffling. His hands moved so quickly I could barely comprehend what was going on. There were a few others at the table. After a few minutes, he was still shuffling.

"Alec, can you actually deal the fucking cards?" Jasper hissed.

Alec glared at him, but nevertheless, he started handing out cards. Once we received our two cards, I watched Jasper. He casually lifted the corner of his cards. I followed his lead. I had a king and 10 suited in spades. From my poker knowledge that I recalled that was a pretty decent hand. Everyone slowly went around and called the blinds. I watched nervously as Alec laid down the flop. There was another king. I straightened up a little bit immediately regretting it, though. Jasper and Landon instantly turned their heads towards me. I shrugged.

_I definitely didn't have a hold on this whole poker face deal yet._

I manipulated my face into a simple solemn look. I called any raises not exactly sure why, though. Alec burned a card and flipped over the turn. It was a ten. This time I mentally restrained myself from any sort of motion whatsoever. I just stared solely at the cards and distinctly recall calling the bets. I watched intently as Alec turned over the river. Shockingly, it was a king. I had managed to get a full house. I quickly made the calculations in my head. There were not pairs on the board besides the kings, and since I had a king, there could be no four-of-a-kinds. I scanned the suits. Nearly all the cards were off-suited. There were two hearts, so a straight flush was impossible. There was one ace on the board, so if someone had an ace or pockets rockets, I would be screwed. But all in all, I felt my chances were pretty good. When it came my turn to bet, I raised it. To my pleasure, another one of the players, Santiago, also raised it. I raised it again when the bet reached back to me and again, so did Santiago. He stared at me with hardened black eyes. I wasn't backing down. I was fairly confident I had won this hand. Finally, when I felt I milked for as much as I could without scaring him off, I simply called. We had scared all the others out of the hand, and one by one, they folded. It was just down to the two of us. Alec instructed Santiago to reveal his cards, since he made the last raise. I checked the community cards with his, and he had a straight, ace high. I smirked as Alec flicked his eyes towards me. I flipped over my two cards cockily. Santiago slammed his fist against the table angrily followed with a slew of curse words laced in a thick Spanish accent. I greedily grabbed the large pile of chips and pulled them into me. Jasper gave me a small smile as if to indicate he was proud of me.

_Even though I won some of his money, too._

We played several more rounds. My luck continued. Not as much as the first round, but it definitely persisted. I was beginning to tire. Only Santiago was fully out. After cleaning him out the first round, he never quite managed to play catch up well enough. Everyone else fluctuated back and forth. Aro watched the game vigilantly. Bravely, I cleared my throat.

"Uh, I was wondering if I could buy out?"

Aro stared at me dumbfounded. He flashed Jasper a look of 'what the fuck.' Jasper shrugged, but even so, he stood up for me.

"Aro, give the kid a break. It's his first time. Plus, let him end on a good night. He's much more likely to play more next time then."

He seemed convinced enough by Jasper's words. He directed a woman by his side to go count my chips.

"Jane, once you're done counting them, give him the corresponding money from the pot."

She nodded. Santiago at once appeared enraged.

"What the fuck, Aro? You never let anyone buy out. If I knew tonight were the night for exceptions, I would have maybe kept some of my cash."

Aro glared at him.

"Highly unlikely, Santiago, with the way you played tonight," he said coldly.

"No, Aro. This is bullshit. I'm not going to stand for this. Just 'cause these trust fund children parade in hear with mounds of money, you let them get away with whatever the hell they want. This is fucking ridicu—"

Before he could complete his sentence, Aro punched him swiftly in the face. I swear I heard a distinct crack. He threw Santiago a dirty rag.

"Clean yourself the fuck up and get out of here before Felix here fucks you up beyond a broken nose. If you want to come back, I better not hear a fucking word out of you."

Santiago nodded and rushed out. There was long silence. Aro rectified it, though:

"C'mon, everyone. Let's not have that fuck face, Santiago, ruin our night. Chelsea, round of drinks for everyone."

The girl behind the bar began lining up tumblers and pouring alcohol into them. Emmett had become a permanent fixture at the bar. He appeared to have a long line of empty glassed stacked out before him. I walked over to join him.

"Emmett, what's up, man?"

"Nothing. Just fucking enjoying life, kid. Saw you fucking beasted out there. Beginner's luck as Jazz would say," he slurred.

He gave me a heavy thump on the back. I took it as an inebriated sign of affection. I saw Alice sitting a one of the small tables by herself.

_She looks lonely. Not to mention sober. At least that might be somewhat stimulating._

She saw me approaching and made room for me.

"Where's Brody?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know. Most likely doing some blow in the bathroom with Bella."

Her words hit me hard.

_Blow? What the fuck? I assumed they partied and got drunk, but I did not anticipate drugs, let alone cocaine._

Marijuana would not have been shocking. I mean, who doesn't smoke pot at least recreationally. Even in all my antisocial life, I had been known to blaze up occasionally. Cocaine was a bigger deal to me. I've seen kids get fucked up massively on cocaine. My only friend back in Evanston got sent to rehab for a cocaine addiction. She was a complete fuck-up. The memory made me cringe.

_At least it's not heroin or meth._

I shuddered at the thought of meth. I'd seen my fair shares of True Life. But still, I did not manage to assuage myself. I quickly changed the expression on my face before Alice could spot it.

"Well, you looked pretty spectacular out there tonight."

I shrugged sheepishly.

"Aw, don't discredit yourself. You won a shit ton of cash."

"Yeah, I guess I did. Just beginner's luck, though."

"Oh, don't let Em and Jazz tell you that. Beginner's luck is a hand or two, not thirty."

Suddenly, we were interrupted by conversations on the other side of the room.

"Aro, we have an issue," Felix told him.

"What?"

"Santiago was picked up by the cops. They questioned him including about his whereabouts tonight."

"He won't say a thing. He knows better than that."

Felix shook his head.

"Demetri tailed him. Apparently, he's awful bitter tonight and unusually talkative."

Alarm rose in the room.

"Shit," Aro muttered, "Get these fuckers their cash. Make sure you keep our earnings. Then get everyone the hell out of here and secure upstairs. Heidi should be able to distract them even if only temporarily while we get things cleared up. Flush any loose drugs you find and make sure to hide the stash."

Felix nodded. Jane handed Jasper and Landon wads of cash before they strode quickly over.

"Get Bella and Brody the fuck out of the bathroom. Tell them to leave their coke behind. We don't need them getting picked up by the cops."

Alice's eyes flashed with excitement as she listened to Jasper's orders. She came back quickly with a fucked up looking Bella and Brody in tow. Her eyes glittered with intensity.

_Why does she look…excited? I'm fucking about to shit my pants._

We headed out through a back entrance. Rosalie had already called some cabs. People slid into them as quickly as possible. I felt someone grab my collar for the second time this fucked up night before I could make it into the safety of the cab.

"You're coming with me."


	7. Otherside

an: Sorry for the delay on the update. This chapter is relatively short but important. I'll try to update sooner next time. All the reviews were greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Disclaimer: Do not own Twilight or the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

_How long, how long will I slide  
Separate my side; I don't,  
I don't believe it's bad  
Slittin' my throat  
it's all I ever had (how long)  
I don't,  
I don't believe it's fair  
Slittin' my throat  
it's all I ever..._

-Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Otherside"

Jasper yanked me with him into a black Range Rover. The interior of the car was black leather and a divider had been put in place to separate the driver from the passengers. He rolled down the black divider.

"Central Park South," he directed before rolling it back up.

He gave me a quick wink to indicate that he knew my address from whatever information they acquired. We peeled out immediately. As we drove off, we saw blue and red flashing lights heading in the opposite direction. Instinctively, I ducked. Jasper pulled me up.

"Edward, don't be ridiculous. These windows are so black they are basically opaque. You can't see shit into this car."

"How did you get picked up by this car instead? Not a cab like everyone else?"

"I texted Abbott, my driver, when Felix and Aro first started talking. He knew I'd be in the area. He's usually on watch for me most nights. Just in case I need him."

_Apparently Abbott was quite faithful to him to. Not telling Mommy and Daddy about his whereabouts on these nights._

"Why did you have me come along with you?"

"Well, I mean, I can't just shove cracked out Bella or drunken Emmett in here, can I?"

_Apparently not faithful enough. And I'm going to take a wild guess on that divider being soundproof._

"Also, I wanted to talk to you briefly about tonight's proceedings."

_That's an awfully formal way of putting it._

"Yeah?"

"What did you think?"

I opened my mouth but closed it again. I honestly didn't know what I thought. On one hand, I felt glamorous and powerful being around these kids. On the other, I was slightly turned off and disgusted by their carelessness in pursuing illicit activities.

'_Pursuing illicit activities'? What the fuck, Edward? Are you middle-aged with a fucking stick, no wait…scratch that, a tree up your ass? They are teenagers; of course, they 'pursue illicit activities.'_

Everyone seemed really cool. I mean, I enjoyed them much more than I've ever enjoyed human companionship before. Their arrogant, condescending air actually put me at ease. It was comforting the find people that saw as much disdain in humanity as I did. I was conflicted to say the least. They were reckless, immature, and blinded by hedonism. They exemplified the typical over-privileged teenage socialites in society. They had money, parents in high places, and a bounty of good looks. Therefore, they did whatever the fuck they pleased. At the same time, I couldn't help feeling drawn to them. I wanted to keep up with them and impress them, to play the Gatsby to their Buchanan's. For the first time, I wanted to _fit in_. I made a conscious decision in my mind finally. I would be one of them.

"It was definitely an interesting night for one, but I enjoyed it."

Jasper broke out in a broad grin. He slapped me on the back.

"Damn straight! I'm fucking glad you did, because, let me tell you, you fucking kicked ass tonight. When Rose first pointed you out on the first day, I dismissed it. I shouldn't have. Rose has an impeccable intuition. Honestly, few people are ever worth our time. Nevertheless, we looked into it. We did our research, and we liked what we saw. And am I fucking glad, too, since you, Edward, are pretty fucking tight. You're cool, calm, and collected. You're just confident enough but not overly cocky. You have the breeding, but you downplay it. You remind me a lot of myself before Rose sank her claws into me. I see a bit of hometown roots in you."

I felt myself blush slightly.

_God, this kid could talk a guy up…in a strange uncouth way. I'm practically melting here with all these compliments he's giving me. I can't even imagine how he makes the ladies swoon._

"Thanks, I guess?"

"I'm just happy to get someone here who isn't as swept up in this whole 'scene.' You know, to ground me. I've felt myself slowly rise and lose a bit of who I was when I first moved here. You are the perfect person to help regain a little bit of me back."

He smiled genuinely at me. It was authentic and completely sober, which reverted my thoughts back to my earlier question that I never got to ask.

"So earlier, you said, you didn't want to bring some intoxicated person along for the ride. Is this because you don't want your driver knowing about it?"

He nodded. So I continued.

"Does he never pick you up drunk or eh…high?"

"I don't drink, Edward."

I was shocked to say the least. I thought this is what these kids did: party their fucking asses off.

"I also don't do any type of drugs. Or at least in that sense."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't do what you would typically consider at drug, as in any type of substance. I gamble, which I'm sure you've noticed. And I gamble a lot. I'm damn good, too. We all have our poison. Mine happens to be poker."

"'All' as in the whole group?"

"Yes. Some more severe than others. Some mix two to create a deadly duo."

"Emmett's is alcohol?"

He nodded.

"Bella's is cocaine?"

He nodded again. I felt my insides shrivel slightly.

"Brody, Leigh, Carter, and Camdyn just have a little bit of drugs and alcohol. Carter prefers pot, though. While Leigh and Camdyn favor different prescription drugs. Leigh likes adderall. It keeps her on edge and lets her keep her near-perfect grades. And Camdyn goes the depressant route to vicodin. Landon boozes it up and also enjoys cards, too. In my opinion, that's an even easier way to lose a lot of money. One of the reasons I don't do any substances—it will affect my game."

"What about Rosalie?"

"She enjoys her alcohol, but her true drug is sex. I'm not going to lie, it's pretty fucking awesome for me."

"You guys are serious then?"

"I guess so. When I moved here from Texas, she instantly picked me out, and we've been together ever since. I'm too much of her ideally constructed guy—rich, well-known family, looks, good grades, athletic—for her to go looking elsewhere, while she's too hot and I'm too lazy for me to want anyone else."

His Southern accent seemed predominantly indifferent.

_Doesn't seem particularly amorous._

He shrugged.

"What about Alice? I didn't see her drink or anything, except one cosmo at Cain."

"Yeah, she's in with me on the no drinking and drugging thing usually. She drinks socially but not excessively. The occasional frilly cocktail here and there but nothing too serious. That little thing couldn't handle too much shit in her system anyway. Her thing is risks. She's a thrill-seeker, which is fun in some aspects but also is fucking insane and scares the fuck out of me in other situations. I can't even count the number of times she's nearly gotten me and the rest of the group arrested. She's a fun girl, though, as long as she doesn't get me fucking killed in one of her antics sometime."

He smiled serenely as though reminiscing about a fond memory. I recalled the glint in her eye earlier when she discovered the police were coming. I hadn't understood it then: why someone should be celebratory when her life was on the line. But it all clicked now. The ferocity and adrenaline in her face spoke volumes now that I knew about her…condition.

"So, you're basically telling me I've gotten myself into a group of fucked up, inebriated, drug-addled, risk-taking, sex-crazed gamblers."

He flashed me a sly, cocky grin.

"Pretty much."


	8. Falling

Disclaimer: Do not own anything.

an: I greatly appreciated the reviews! Thanks! Please keeping reading and reviewing!

_Wait there, I'll be right back.  
Down in Times Square it's a heart attack.  
All the feeling makes you feel so new.  
Trees fall and so do men.  
Even the walls start caving in and you feel like there's no pretend for you._

_-_Ben Kweller, "Falling"

Jasper dropped me back off at my apartment. I glanced down at my watch. It was half past four. I wondered if Carlisle and Esme would be pissed if I came home at this hour. I was about the enter the lobby when I decided I wouldn't test them…tonight. I was about to pull out my cell ready to call Jasper and get him to turn around and offer me a place to crash when I felt the large wad of cash in my pocket. I hadn't counted it yet. I knew the Ritz was down the street. I decided on walking. I entered the lobby and approached the front desk. A middle-aged woman was typing on the computer. Her nametag read 'Amanda.'

"What can I do for you?' she asked when she saw me.

"I need a room for the night," I said.

"Sir, the only room we have ready on such short notice is the Ritz-Carlton suite."

"That's fine."

She went down a list of random information. I fussed with some paperwork and flashed her my fake ID. After everything was complete, she totaled it up for me.

_Wow, I guess that thing was pretty legit._

"That will be $5500 for the room."

"I'll pay up front."

"Uh, okay. This means you can't purchase any movies or things in the room."

"That's fine."

I pulled the cash from my pocket hoping I had at least five grand with me. I began counting out hundreds. She stared at me in awe as I handed her 55 bills with still dozens in my hand to spare.

_With a fucking five-grand buy-in, I better as hell have a shit ton of cash._

"Is it possible for me to get a late check-out?"

She vaguely nodded, her eyes still fixed upon my wad of money.

"Let me see what I can do for you, Mr. Anthony."

I almost laughed at her addressing me by my alias. At the same time, it was somewhat off-putting being called by that name,

_How the fuck had Rosalie known that name? It couldn't be just pure coincidence._

Anthony was my unwritten second middle name. Carlisle had wanted to name me it, and Esme insisted on Edward and that I take her maiden name, Masen, as my middle name. However, the name wasn't completely lost. They both occasionally called me by it.

_These people are truly stalking me._

After examining a few things on the computer and speaking with a manager, Amanda came back.

"Due to your late arrival and your advance payment, the manager has extended you a late check-out. The suite isn't booked for tomorrow night anyway. He says as long as you leave by 7 tomorrow evening, everything will be fine."

She smiled at me and handed me a card key. I thanked her and departed for the elevator.

_It was the cash that swayed them. They assume I'm just some rich spoiled brat, who's looking for a place to crash. They hope by being super-nice to me now, I'll be lured back whenever I need a place to sleep after a night of crazy partying. I mean, they are right. I am definitely a bit partial to the Ritz now, and I suppose I am that brat they think I am._

I unlocked my room. It was fucking massive. Christ, there was even a fucking dining room. I felt awfully at home also, since the living room overlooked the park much like my own bedroom. I stripped off my shirt as I walked into the bedroom and unbuttoned my jeans. I placed my cell phone and the bills on the nightstand. I quickly counted the remainder of my winnings. I still had around $7000 left.

_Fuck, I'd more than doubled up tonight. I see where Jasper derives his pleasure from._

I tossed the covers over my head and dozed to sleep.

I woke up to my phone. I grabbed it instinctively even in my fatigue. I glanced at the caller ID.

_Ah, fuck, the parentals. They probably aren't too thrilled about my disappearing act._

"Hello," I said trying to convey a well-rested night's sleep in my voice.

"Edward, where are you? You never called to tell us you were leaving yesterday. And then, you never came home. Your father and I were worried sick."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I slept over at a friend's house, Jasper."

I threw out the name of the person I'd last seen.

_I don't think Amanda counted as my friend._

On the utterance of the word 'friend,' Esme instantly perked up. I had won her over. She absolutely loved the idea of me making friends. It was something that I hadn't done in the past. Especially so soon. It was only the first week of school after all.

"Oh, okay, honey. What time do you think you'll be home?"

I checked the clock. It was a little past noon. I decided to buy myself a lot of time.

"Well, Emmett is coming over in a little bit and we were just going to hang out."

I threw out another name for good measure.

"Oh! No rush at all. Just come home whenever."

I felt a little bad about taking advantage of my mom's desire for me to be well-liked and popular and just well-adjusted in general.

_But not bad enough to give up a calming afternoon in this kickass suite._

I hung up the phone and settled back into the bed. My phone began ringing again. Honestly, it hadn't seen this much action since I had a very similar number to a person named Darryl. I checked the screen. It was Jasper.

"Hey."

"What's up, kid?"

"Nothing really."

"What are you up to this fine afternoon?" he drawled.

"I'm currently at the Ritz."

"By your apartment?"

"Yeah. Come on by and we can discuss the game plan for tonight."

"Alright. I'll be there soon."

"Okay. Oh, and, Jasper?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you bring me a shirt or something? Actually just a change of clothes in general? I'm on the 21st floor. Ask for a Mr. Anthony."

He laughed on the other end.

"Sure thing, kid."

I decided to take a shower before Jasper got here. As I got out of the bathroom, I heard knocking on my door. I wrapped a towel around my waist and answered the door.

"Dude, that's a little forward for me," he commented on my getup.

He laughed and shoved a pair of jeans and t-shirt into my arms.

"Thanks. Let me go put these on."

I slid on the jeans and buttoned them up. They bagged a little around my waist, and the shirt was loose, too. Jasper was at least two inches taller than me with a good extra 20 pounds of muscle. I stepped back out.

"Not too shabby."

He ran a hand through his blond hair mussing it slightly. He donned a vintage Bob Dylan concert tee with a black leather jacket over it along with very worn jeans and a pair of steel-toed boots. He looked much more laid back that I recalled.

"This look is new."

"Nah, more like supremely old. Rose hates it. She thinks it so tacky cowboy of me. She bought me this John Varvatos jacket, because she loathed the old ratty one I used to wear all the time. See, Cullen, you're already bringing out the old me."

"Yeah, yeah. You make me sound like a positive influence."

"In a weird way, yeah, you are."

I took a seat in the spacious living room. Jasper joined me sitting in a chair opposite of me.

"Damn, this is nice."

He craned his head around to gather everything in.

"Already spending your winnings?"

I grinned wryly.

"Yeah, I needed a place to crash last night. So why the hell not, I decided."

"Next time just hit me up, and you can crash at my place. We have plenty of extra space. My parents wouldn't even notice. Plus, careful, you have bigger, better things you need that cash for. There's another game tonight. A bit steeper buy-in."

"Seriously?"

_I thought $5000 was already a lot._

"Fuck yeah. Come on, Edward, yesterday was just a warm up. Rose decided to find a cheaper game to initiate you. Aro just happened to be having a 'pocket change' night as he likes to call it."

"So what is it? The buy-in tonight?"

"10."


	9. Top of the World

an: I appreciate the reviews. I know this story is a bit different, and I also know the couples aren't as expected right now. Hell, I don't even know what the couples are going to be. So please bear with me. I'm really glad if you have. Please review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

_Don't be so greedy  
A dollar's a penny to you  
When hearts stop beating  
Say what you want 'em to do_

_-_All-American Rejects, "Top of the World"

"As in ten thousand?!"

I'm pretty sure I shouted it, but Jasper didn't even flinch. He looked just as laid back as before. Apparently 10 grand buy-ins were common goings in Jasper Whitlock's life.

"Well, think about it this way, Edward: how much did you win last night?"

"Well, I won like 13 thousand total, but I have a little over seven left."

"Okay. So, you have seven left after this hotel room, I assume. All you need is three more. And really, if you lose tonight, it's only like you lost three 'cause you wouldn't have that seven if it weren't for poker last night."

I processed the reasoning in my head. It made sense…slightly.

_Shut up. Stop trying to rationalize their behavior. Either you condone it or you don't._

I convinced myself to listen to Jasper's rationale. It was flawed, but I suppose if I decided to dive into the whole poker scene, I needed to go in cannonball style. None of this tiptoeing shit. This is it. My step from ordinary man to historical man. Onto Ubermensch.

_This has nothing to fucking do with Nietzsche. Stop trying to manipulate his philosophy to accommodate yourself. Don't kid yourself._

Jasper laughed at me. He watched me wrestle with myself mentally. He knew that his justification didn't really make sense.

_Aw, what the hell? Why not?_

"Okay, fuck it. Let's do it."

"Alright! That's my boy. Need to hit up the bank? Some trust funds we need to crack into?"

I had just gained access to my trust fund on my 18th birthday. I had no previous intentions of spending it so soon. And I still had none.

"No. I just need to make a stop by my house."

"Well, whenever you're ready. We could chill for a bit. I talked with Aro. The game starts around midnight."

"No plans before that?"

He groaned.

"I don't know. Rose wanted to hit up a club or whatever."

"Not into the whole scene?"

"Nope, not really. It doesn't help either that every time we're out we get spotted by some paparazzi. Dating a senator's daughter attracts a lot of unwanted attention."

_I guess I'm not the only one who prefers to avoid the limelight._

"Rosalie is the daughter of Senator Hale?"

That explained how she had managed to collect so much information about me. I'm sure she could easily persuade some of her father's staff to do a little profile check on me. I mentally crammed my head for all the news and politics that I knew, which was very minimal. I preferred to recount on geniuses of our past, because frankly, there were few present-day geniuses. Senator Hale was an up-and-coming senator. Many pundits cited him for a potential candidate in the next presidential election. He was well-liked and extremely handsome according to Esme. Women seemed to adore him.

_I can see where his daughter gets her looks._

He was too radical to qualify as completely Republican but too conservative to be a Democrat. No one knew how the label him. The man knew how to appease. He supported tax breaks for the wealthy and poor, though I wasn't exactly sure how he was going to accomplish that. He had moderate ideas about healthcare. He had a strong platform for family values but without mentioning anything about religion or without breaching the topic of gay marriage.

_The guy was good. I mean, who could say they were anti-FAMILY?_

He said just enough to make everyone happy and left out just enough so no one could get pissed off. It was quite ingenious if I did so myself. I had no idea what he would actually do in execution, but the man was damn well manipulative.

Rosalie must have attracted a good amount of media attention. She looked like a beautiful starlette or supermodel. Additionally, she was frequently out all through the city. I guess it wasn't exactly good if the cameras caught the underage girl parading through different clubs absolutely shitfaced. Jasper must have read my mind.

"It's pretty bad when they catch a shot of us leaving a club and Rosalie is drunk and practically having sex with me in the streets."

He grimaced.

"I mean, at least she snagged a 'decent' kid instead of going for the whole bad boy thing."

I gave him a quizzical look.

"Like I told: Rosalie picked me from the beginning for my good breeding. I was attractive enough for her. I have no history of rehab or run-ins with the law. Plus, I'm the grandson of one of the largest oil tycoons in the nation, and my father is the CEO of the company currently. I had the looks, the money, and the name. Her father was able to negotiate all sorts of deals with my father in the business world, and my father's company gained tons of positive publicity amidst all the hatred for the oil industry. It works out for everyone."

He added the last sentence somewhat bitterly.

"Why do I feel like you aren't always particularly fond of your relationship with Rosalie?"

"It's not that. It's just…"

He broke off at a loss for words. He honestly seemed like he didn't know what to say. I got a feeling that Jasper didn't really love Rosalie and that their relationship was out of convenience and practicality. He never seemed particularly enamored when speaking about her, yet he was still affectionate with her in person.

"It's okay. Forget that I asked."

He smiled gratefully at me. His phone vibrated violently, and he scanned over the screen with his eyes quickly.

"Emmett just texted me."

_Of course, Jasper lives off of text messages practically._

"He wants to know if you're up for going to 40/40. Maybe grabbing some food and a few beers. Catch whatever games on."

I had no idea what the hell 40/40 was, but I honestly don't think my knowledge would affect my decision.

"Yeah. That's sounds good. Let me just get my shit together and we can head out."

I grabbed my three personal belongings, and we departed. It was a quick walk back to my apartment. I greeted the doorman. Before Jasper could take in the lobby, I ushered him to the elevator and hit the PH button. I rushed into the apartment, but Esme spotted us.

"Edward! I wasn't expecting you home so soon! I also didn't know you were bringing a guest!"

Jasper instantly flashed her a perfect grin, and she blushed.

_God, this kid can fucking make anyone melt into a state of incoherency._

Even when not dressed to the nines, Jasper had this magnetism about him. He emanated charisma and just seemed completely approachable. Not to mention all my new friends were impossibly good looking.

"Hi, Mrs. Cullen. I'm Jasper Whitlock, one of Edward's friends."

His accent suddenly became much more distinct. She reached out to shake his hand. Instead of shaking it, he took it up to his lips and placed a light kiss on it.

_He's totally milking this Southern gentleman thing._

My mom fucking blushed. Again.

"Mom, we're just going to grab a few things, and we're heading out to meet Emmett."

"Sounds great, sweetie," she said, her voice breathy.

Jasper gave me a smirk as we walked away.

"You'll learn soon enough, kid."

"What? How to turn on every single human being you meet?"

"How to dazzle."

"Oh."

"You'd be surprised how easily it comes. Once you drop the cynicism, it'll be tons easier."

I scoffed.

_Yeah, right. Cynicism isn't something I can just 'drop.' It's engrained into me._

He sensed my reluctance.

"Whatever. Fine. Once you learn to put on a good façade, you'll be a pro at it."

I shrugged and pushed open the door to my room. Jasper's eyes panned around the room and settled on the piano.

"I've already read your file, so it doesn't come as a surprise to me. Had I not read that thing, I would probably be asking you why the fuck you have a baby grand piano in the center of your bedroom. Might as well put it on a fucking pedestal with a spotlight while you're at it."

"Douche bag," I mumbled.

He grinned playfully and jumped onto my bed making himself at home. I reached into my desk. I had a ton of cash around, just because I saved up any cash I got. After lots of holidays and what not, I had accumulated loads of money. I counted out 31 hundreds for good measure. I took my money from last night out my pocket and shoved all of the bills into a manila envelope.

"Ready to go?" Jasper said getting up from my bed.

"Yeah."

I checked my watch. It was almost 3. Jasper was immediately on the phone.

"Yeah, Abbott, the same place as last night."

Pause.

"Is my messenger bag in the backseat?"

Pause.

"Okay, great. I'll see you in like 20 minutes."

He pulled the phone away from his ear and shoved it back into his pocket.

"Jeez, you're like fucking attached to that thing."

"Gotta keep track of things. Abbott will be here in like 20 minutes. He's picking up my dry cleaning right now."

I rolled my eyes.

"What? A guy's gotta keep his wardrobe freshly laundered and pressed."

I grabbed my laptop anxious to find out what 40/40 was. As I reached for it, Jasper stopped me.

"Hey, hey, hey. What are you doing?"

"I wanted to look up 40/40."

"Christ, you are fucking out of it."

He flipped shut the lid and pushed it away.

"40/40 is a sports bar and lounge that Jay-Z opened up."

"Don't clubs and such open later usually? Isn't the afternoon a little early?"

"Here's the thing: Emmett's dad is a big music producer. Like he's the shit of the music industry. He's tight with Jay-Z, so Emmett gets a bunch of perks like getting in before it opens. Anyway, 40/40 opens at 4, so we won't be there that early."

"Do all your parents have crazy professions?"

"Well, Alice's mom is a fashion designer, and her dad is the CFO for a consulting company. Brody's dad is one of the best agents in the acting industry. He's constantly shuttling out from here and L.A., and due to his dad's position, his mom is a B-list actress. Leigh's father is a Pulitzer Prize winning author who's now opened his own publishing company. Camdyn's dad is a hot shot transactional lawyer, and her mom is a chief administrator at Lennox Hill. Carter's family owns a real estate company that is huge in Manhattan. Landon's dad is an upper level, and I mean _upper, upper_ level, director at a banking company on Wall St. His mom is also a former supermodel. I mean, Emmett's step-mom is a current supermodel, but it doesn't really count since she's not actually his mom. His actual mom lives like somewhere in the Midwest. Bella's dad is the police commissioner. She's not quite as wealthy as the rest of us, but her step-dad plays for the Marlins so her mom always sends her fatty checks from Florida."

All these kids were just as rich, or even more, than I was. I had never been around such affluent families in my life before. Back in Chicago, we lived in an upper middle class suburb. Everyone was well-off, but with Carlisle's immense skill and Esme's wealthy parents, I was by far the richest kid at my school. My wealth provided my leverage. Not that I wanted it, but if the opportunity ever arose, I could use my money and good looks to get me somewhere, _anywhere_ socially. If allowed to, the student body at my old school would have kissed the ground I walked on just to be given a glimpse into the privileged life.

_That was definitely not the case anymore._

The tables had been turned, as clichéd as it is. I was around kids who were much more acquainted with a life of privilege than I. I knew what it was like to have everything handed to me. I just never took advantage of it. I didn't delve into the glamour pushed onto me. I was quite ordinary, and my life had been relatively mundane compared with these kids.

Jasper's phone rang suddenly.

_Big fucking surprise._

He picked it up and motioned for us to leave.

"Okay, we'll be right out."

He hung up, and we headed down the elevator and out the building. Jasper opened the door for me and pushed me into the car. He instructed Abbott to go to 40/40. He grabbed a burgundy leather Tod's messenger bag off the floor and flipped open the flap. I stared at thick stacks of hundred dollar bills lined neatly up inside the back.


	10. Dirt Off Your Shoulder

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except some knowledge of the drinks list at 40/40.

an: Thanks for all the reivews. I really appreciate them. I know I've been slow on updating. Please stick with me. Though I've finished college admissions essays, I still have a lot of upcoming scholarships due...so, it's going to be a bit slower for the next month or so. Plus, I've had a bit of writer's block on both of my stories. Anyway, here's to Jay-Z!

_If you feelin' like a pimp nigga, go and brush your shoulders off  
Ladies is pimps too, go and brush your shoulders off  
Niggaz is crazy baby, don't forget that boy told you  
Get, that, dirt off your shoulder_

-Jay-Z, "Dirt Off Your Shoulder"

"Here, you can throw your money in for safekeeping."

I nodded vaguely and mechanically tossed in envelope. The remainder of the car ride was relatively silent as I soaked in everything around me. I was slowly trying to process everything about these people. I was not accustomed to these levels of extravagance. I didn't know if I could handle it. I didn't know if I liked it.

_What the fuck is with this Range Rover and its ability to make me contemplative?_

I had convinced myself last night that I liked these people, hadn't I? Why was I constantly making life so much more difficult by questioning every single decision?

"Dude, you're like freaking out over there. I can tell. You're eyes keep shifting back and forth, and you're tense as fuck."

I glanced at him. I was sitting awfully rigid in the seat. I wasn't aware I was so transparent, though.

"I just get super-stressed vibes from you. Calm down. What's on your mind?"

I opened my mouth and then shut it trying to decide how to verbalize my thoughts.

"Okay. Here's the thing. As you guys noticed in my file, I don't usually have friends. Like at all. This is all really new to me. And not just the friends thing…everything. I've never really done anything of what you guys do in your regular day life."

He broke into a smile.

"That's it? Dude, you'll be fine. It just takes some getting used to. Yeah, yeah, we're a bit over the top, but we can be chill, too. You just gotta bear with us. Trust me. You're one of us. You'll realize that in time."

I stared back down at my lap. What he said didn't really help me. They were so nonchalant about everything. I had a tendency to over-think everything. I was hyper-analytical, and I knew that. It just never was a real issue before, because there are not that many things to analyze when you're a pariah.

We finally arrived at 40/40. Jasper gave Abbott and thumbs-up through the divider. We walked through the doors. Immediately, we were stopped.

"It's okay, it's okay! They're with me."

I looked over and found Emmett sitting on the bar with a frosty glass of beer. Carter was situated next to him devouring a large plate of nachos.

_Munchies, I'm guessing?_

Jasper walked over and bumped fists with Emmett. Emmett patted the seat next to him to indicate Jasper to sit there.

"Landon's in the bathroom right now. The Brodster is still on his way. He had some shit to do. We're watching the Yankees fucking annihilate right now."

I understood the connotation behind 'shit.' Clearly, Brody was in transit from his drug deal. Jasper took the seat, and the bartender automatically handed him a glass of soda.

_Oh yeah, I forget. Guy doesn't drink._

"Sweet. That's what I like to see," Jasper said in reference to the game, his head craning towards the television screen.

Sports were really lost on me. I had never really kept track of sporting statistics. Not really my thing. I knew the Yankees were baseball team. I also knew that the post-season was in the midst. After living in Chicago my entire life, I picked up a few things from fanatic Cubs fans. Though, they usually weren't any good, that didn't stop everyone from binge drinking themselves to death at every single game. In addition, there were some psychotic kids at my school that were _way_ too invested in every game.

Jasper turned to me. I realized then that I was still standing awkwardly. I found the seat next to Jasper.

"Want anything to drink?"

"Uh, I'll take a beer, I guess."

"Hit him up with a Brooklyn Lager," Emmett directed.

The bartender nodded and instantly handed me a frosty glass of draft. I took a sip of the cool amber liquid. It slid smoothly down my throat taking some of my anxiety with it.

"Well, now that we've got a decent sized group here, how about some BBQ chicken wings, empanadas, and chicken tenders?"

The waiter wrote down Emmett's words. He made an immediate dash for the kitchen. I could tell Emmett possessed a great deal of authority here. He was definitely treated like a king.

We watched the game with brief small talk. The food was brought out, and we dug into it. Emmett made some vulgar comments and prodded Jasper about his sex life with Rosalie.

_I guess this is what male bonding time is like._

Once the first round of plates was cleared, Emmett and Carter ordered more. The place was actually beginning to open, and people were walking in. Still, even with actual customers, our service was instant. The entire staff did everything exactly how and when Emmett wanted it. It was an indisputable power.

After a large consumption of food and a decent amount of innings had passed, Brody wandered in. Followed closely behind were Alice and Rosalie.

"Fuck my life," Emmett muttered under his breath.

Brody looked apologetic, his eyes pleading with Emmett's for mercy. Alice craned her head around with bright, wide eyes. Rose swaggered in as every male head turned towards her. She sauntered up and sat herself up on Jasper's lap placing a sensual kiss on his lips. I could hear the mental groan of disappointment from every patron. Brody walked over to Emmett.

"Dude, I'm going to murder you. This is guys' time," Emmett hissed.

"I know, I know. I'm fucking sorry. But I was really fucking high when Alice called, and you know that girl reads me like a book. I could barely get out regular words let alone a well-constructed lie."

"What the fuck, man? You gotta keep your shit together. Whatever, this better be it."

Brody winced, and Emmett narrowed his eyes.

"What?"

"Rosalie may have called basically the rest of the girls."

"Fuck me. I can't deal with all that estrogen right now. I'm watching the _Yankees._"

"I'm sorry, dude."

"Apologies are worthless now. You just better keep that fucking sprite busy, so she doesn't irritate my ass."

"Will do."

Alice skipped over to the bar.

"Can I get a Baseline?"

"Oh, and a Pagne & Berries for me," Rosalie chimed in.

The bartender nodded vigorously and instantly got to work on their cocktails. Emmett rolled his eyes. He handed them each their drinks. Alice eagerly sipped her frozen beverage, while Rosalie hung hers in front of Jasper's face.

"Want some bubbly, baby?" Rosalie cooed towards Jasper.

"You know I don't drink, Rose," his voice even with a hint of irritation.

"C'mon. Live a little."

He shook his head. With a _hmph_, she slid off his lap to go talk to Alice. Soon Bella arrived. She approached us and took a seat next to me.

"Stella, please," she told the bartender.

A bottle was immediately placed in front of her.

"What's the score, boys?"

"Yankees are up by three," Emmett mumbled.

"Let's hope they keep it that way."

She tipped the bottle back and took a long swig.

"Bella has a bit of dual personalities. She's either a tomboy, or she's a sexy vixen," Jasper whispered a quick explanation to me.

I nodded in understanding and turned slightly towards her.

"Eddie-boy, pass me the plate of quesadillas, will ya?"

I did as I was told, and she snatched up and triangle and took a small bite out of it.

"Well at least every girl isn't a pain in my ass," Emmett said.

"Damn straight, Emmy. But I will whine and bitch until I get a slice of cheesecake."

She had finished off the remaining quesadilla.

"You heard the woman, get on that."

The waiter silently whisked off again. Everyone turned their eyes to the screens. I reluctantly did the same. Suddenly, everyone began booing and cursing.

"Fuck that, A-Rod! What kind of piss poor attempt at a catch was that? We don't need any errors. Screwing Madonna must be fucking with your game," Bella shouted at the screen.

_Damn, this girl probably knows more about sports than I do. Actually, correction, she DEFINITELY knows more about sports than I do._

I was barely able to keep up with the game thus far. Bella had just swooped in and gathered in everything. It was definitely a blow to my masculinity.

Leigh and Camdyn eventually showed up. They however congregated with Rosalie and Alice. I could tell that Rosalie was pissed that everyone was paying more attention to baseball than to her. Soon the seventh inning stretch rolled around. Emmett took this as an opportunity to order everyone more food and drinks. Bella turned towards me.

"So, Edward. We have yet to have a real conversation."

"I'm well aware."

"I heard you had a spectacular rookie performance last night."

"Yeah, I thought it was pretty good myself."

"I would have congratulated you, but I was a little preoccupied."

She added a wink to that statement, not that is was necessary.

"Hoping to have a repeat tonight?"

"It would be nice, but Jasper's already rationalized out the whole system for me."

"Of course he has."

I gave her a puzzled look. She shrugged her shoulders and took a chip from the newest plate of nachos in front of us.

* * *

Please review!


	11. Hurricane

Disclaimer: Own nothing.

Sorry for the delay again. The next chapter should be up within the next week, though. I know you guys want me to get into the action, but you gotta be patient! There's some foreshadowing in this...vaguely. The better part of the foreshadowing is definitely in the next chapter (which will be up soon, I promise!). I appreciate all the reviews. Sorry if I didn't get to respond to all of them yet. I will try to.

_The world moves faster than I knew  
Not fast enough to not creep up on you  
And the space we put between  
So pull me under your weather patterns_

-Something Corporate, "Hurricane"

After the conclusion of the game, we stayed at the lounge still. Emmett ordered us a couple rounds of shots. After four and a vodka tonic, I insisted I sit out. Emmett shrugged.

"Your loss, kiddo."

I took a seat on the couch with Jasper, who for the whole night remained relatively silent. As I fell back into the seat, my head pounded and I felt light-headed. I was extremely relieved I was sitting at the moment. If not, I would have guaranteed the room would have been spinning.

"That's the alcohol kicking in," Jasper informed me.

I had never been drunk before. It was a new experience for me. Drinking is more a social activity for high school students, or else it's considered borderline alcoholism. People don't sit at home on a Wednesday night with a tumbler full of scotch over their physics homework at 17. Pot was different. I could go out and chief a bowl with the stoner kids during lunch if the mood ever struck me. They didn't harass me and didn't ask questions. It was chill.

Coupled with the beers from earlier and my usual lack of drinking, I was definitely feeling it. I could tell I had a low tolerance compared with the rest of the party animals from the way that Jasper snickered at my current state.

"I thought you didn't drink," I slurred.

"Kid, just 'cause I don't drink now doesn't mean I haven't. However, I did not get drunk off of five shots. Buzzed maybe but definitely not drunk."

"I had two beers during the game," I protested.

He laughed.

"Like over an hour ago and over the course of two hours. But hey, whatever floats your boat."

I crossed my arms and sighed in a fit of melodrama.

"Remember, though, Cullen, game time's in a few hours. Get yourself sober by then, or else you'll be losing more than a pretty penny."

He tapped his watch and got up. He walked over to Rosalie and slipped an arm around her waist. In her drunken, horny state, she instantly latched onto his lips. With a quick wink to Emmett, he took her hand and began leading her off somewhere.

Moments later, Bella plopped down next to me.

"And so we meet again, Edward."

"I suppose we do."

"Was big brother Jasper giving you a little lecture?"

_What was her deal with Jasper?_

"Uh, do you not like Jasper?"

She laughed hysterically like it was the funniest thing I could have ever said.

"Are you fucking serious?"

I just stared at her.

"…Yes?"

"I fucking love the guy. I tease you since I see he's taken you under his wing. It's just so _Jasper_ of him."

"I don't even know what the fuck that means."

_Oh shit. Did I say that aloud? That was definitely intended solely for my head. So tonight I've learned I have a shitty verbal filter when I drink._

"Well, Jas is just so…I don't know…parental."

_I would definitely not describe him like that._

My face must have given away my thoughts. Either that or I had lost my filter again.

"Well, not a parent in that sense. But he's responsible in every sense except gambling. I mean, better than if Emmett decided to be your mentor."

We turned our heads to find Emmett. At that very moment, he had just taken a shot from a very busty woman's cleavage and began dancing around the room in some sort of strange straw hat that he apparently had obtained in the last ten minutes. Both of us burst out laughing.

"See what I mean? Em's great and fucking fun. Not to mention hilarious. But he'll get crazy and lose all his inhibitions. I foresee that in the next hour or so."

"Bella! C'mere!"

She looked to find Brody shouting at her from across the room gesturing for her to come join him.

_Well, I know what that means. Time for the cocaine._

She gave me a quick wave and hopped up out of the seat. I felt my stomach sink again.

_Why the fuck does it keep doing that?_

I had actually spoken with the girl today, and it pained me to see some a charming girl throw herself away to such an awful habit. Alice soon joined me on the couch. I suspected since her boyfriend had ditched her to go snort coke.

"Hi."

She sounded a bit dejected.

"How are you doing, Alice?"

"I'm fine. Great."

She sounded wistful.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, I just get so _bored_ at these things, you know? They get so old, so fast. I like to keep a fast-paced life. Everyone else just wants to party."

_Oh so maybe she wasn't upset that Brody had left but rather, was upset we weren't doing anything life-threatening? What the fuck? I don't understand these people._

I just stared at her. She didn't seem to notice my lack of response. She appeared too antsy to pay attention to anything else. She just shifted uncomfortably back and forth in the seat while flicking her eyes around the room. I don't think a single part of her body was still.

"I wonder where Rosalie is. I want to fucking peace."

I think she said it more for her benefit rather than mine.

"I saw her and Jasper wander off in full hook-up mode."

Her shoulders slumped, and she groaned.

"Fuck, we're never going to leave now until Rosalie gets at least five orgasms."

I raised a questioning eyebrow.

"It shouldn't take that long. Jasper's managed to get her off in seconds several a-times."

_I really don't want to hear this shit. I'm pretty sure my ears are bleeding right now._

Impulsively, I touched my left ear and examined my fingers as if they could actually be covered in blood. I attributed it to my drunken state.

"Well, since we're going to be here for a bit longer, let's have some fun, Edward."

She got up and pulled me up from my seat towards a waitress carrying a tray full of shots. She grabbed two off and handed one to me. I took it despite what the sober half of my brain told me. I felt the slight burn as the Grey Goose slid down my throat.

"Let's dance," she said brightly.

Alice pulled me into the center of the room, but rather than dancing in the usual club manner, she pulled me into a swing dance. She grabbed both of my hands. The swing classes Esme dragged me to actually seemed to have some kind of use. She started off with a Balboa-type dance and switched it to the Jitterbug. Everyone stared at us as we danced ridiculously. I felt myself laughing, and Alice giggled uncontrollably. We continued at it for awhile. Finally, Rosalie and Jasper returned. He raised his eyebrows and chuckled appreciatively.

He came over and pulled me away from Alice.

"Are you sober enough, kid?"

I nodded.

_Liar._

"Well, we are leaving in a bit. Game time is around 12:30 tonight again at Aro's."

As midnight rolled around, we slowly stared crashing. Jasper rounded everyone up and made sure to do a quick head count. It reminded me of a field trip from elementary school. Once he seemed content with everyone's current states, he ushered everyone out of the bar. He hailed everyone cabs and shoved them into them giving directions to the cab drivers. I recognized Abbott and the Range Rover pull up last, and Jasper helped me up into the car. At this point, I was sobering up.

Jasper reached underneath the seat and grabbed his messenger from under it. He didn't say anything to me. He just gave me a hard stare and inspected my face probably making sure I wasn't too trashed or anything. He appeared satisfied with my level of alcohol intoxication and pulled out his phone to check his messages and the time. The car came to a halt, and Jasper shoved me out.

I hadn't really gotten a good glimpse of the exterior yesterday considering that I was knocked unconscious when they brought me there and when we left, I was fearful of the police. It seemed quite ordinary. Like a place that you would probably walk by everyday without ever noticing. I guess that was the point. They probably didn't want to attract a lot of attention. We walked inside, and a girl pointed us back. Everyone had already arrived. I recognized a few faces of people from yesterday. As we approached the poker table, Jasper slung the bag from off his shoulder. He handed Aro my envelope and his own plastic bags filled with cash. After inspecting it, we were given chips and seats at the table.

We played in relative silence. I don't think I had really heard anyone speak for a good two hours. Both Jasper and I were doing relatively well. Landon however was having a bad night. He kept running his hand through his hair and grimacing. I watched his pile shrink and his frustration grow. Around three in the morning, Aro received a call.

"Yeah?"

Pause.

"Now? It wasn't supposed to come until tomorrow morning."

Another longer pause.

"Fuck. Alright, fine. I'll see you in ten."

He hung up and slipped his phone away.

"Okay, boys, despite how wonderful this night was, I'm going to have to put an end to the fun. We have business to attend to. Jane, clear this up in the next two minutes."

The woman nodded, and she immediately began counting. She handed me my money and placed it in the manila envelope I brought. Jasper took his and shoved it into the bag. Landon had barely any money to receive. Aro gave Jasper a hard look, and I swore I saw him flinch.

"Okay. We gotta leave. They want us out."

Alice rounded everyone up, and we left the building. We walked a few blocks to find cabs going uptown. I found out we were in Nolita. Once I got into Jasper's car, I took out my money and counted it. I had $12,500.

_At least I came out in the positive side._

"How did you do?" I asked Jasper.

"$13,000."

"Well, you beat me. I had $12,500."

"Still good for a rookie."

He gave me a pat on the back. I felt proud. I didn't know why, but for some reason, I yearned for Jasper's respect. It made me feel important and most of all, accepted.

"Am I dropping you off home, or are you going to crash at my place."

I glanced at my watch and checked the time. It was a little past 3:30.

"I'm not sure my parents would appreciate me showing up this late. Your house, I guess?"

"Sounds good. I'll tell Abbott."

He rolled down the divider and said a few words to the old man before shutting it again.

"It's good to have you around, kid."


	12. When You're On Top

Disclaimer: Twilight's not mine, neither are these lyrics.

Okay, I've had this chapter done, I just hadn't gotten around to picking out a chapter title/lyrics. I'm a huge procrastinator. Some more foreshadowing. Action's coming up sooooon. (Oh, and I indulged myself a little in this chapter at the end; I have a thing for college hoops...as in it's my life (bleed Duke blue!). Sorry, it's one of the reasons my updates have been less frequent, that and schoolwork. Don't worry March will be over soon along with the basketball season.) As always, I love reviews!!

_I'm doing better than I thought I would  
But nothing's ever as good  
As when you're on top_

-The Wallflowers, "When You're On Top"

Over the next weeks, I grew adjusted to the group. I got used to the exorbitantly high buy-ins for poker games, late nights at clubs, and just overall frivolity. I learned the feeling of dropping two thousand dollars on an afternoon at Barney's followed with a couple hundred that night in drinks at the Rose Bar. I lived the life on the other side of the velvet ropes, where parents looked the other way and admirers were on every corner.

At first, Carlisle and Esme frowned upon my constant absences. They felt distance and detached from my life, which actually wasn't really a change from before. I was just physically gone now rather than just emotionally. However, Jasper charmed both of them to their knees. Esme adores him and asks about him every time he's not there. My dad is equally taken with him. Both Emmett and Jasper play on Trinity's lacrosse team as the star players. Jasper is the captain. After my dad discovered this, he had a nice male bonding session with Jasper about sports, something he missed out on with me. Now, I just drop Jasper's name, and I'm good to go.

The kids at school have begun to regard me with the same sense of admiration; I'm Moses in a Red Sea of kids. We maintain a sense of mystique as each of our peers view us with wonder. My elitism hasn't changed much. I still refuse to speak to anyone I believe isn't worthy of being spoken to. That group of people is just slightly larger now. My condescension remains steady.

I no longer question each action I make. My hyper-analytical nature has toned itself down a bit. And Jasper was right; I can fucking dazzle, cynicism and all. I may not have that charming Southern gentleman quality to me, but I have that charismatic, cocky prick thing that works just as well. Women find my confidence and aloofness alluring, which baffles me.

Also, fuck beginner's luck. Now that I'm not longer a rookie, I can assuredly say that I'm still damn good at poker. Jasper views me as his prized student, not that he's taught me much about poker but rather just about myself. I've won. A lot. I contend Jasper for each pot, both of us usually making quite a bit each game. Landon, on the other hand, has fallen into a slump. His winnings have been completely obliterated. At first, I was afraid he would blame me for his change in luck, but he's mostly just taken it out on himself by pounding shot after shot of Johnnie Walker Black Label.

It was Friday, and like lately, I was excited for whatever plans were for the night. It was something completely unheard of in my past. I never looked forward to anything besides complete isolation. As according to routine, I went home and practiced piano. Around 5:30, I departed from my apartment and hailed a cab to Jasper's. Jasper had a brownstone on 77th Street near Park. I got out of the taxi and walked up the steps of the townhouse knocking on the heavy door. The maid opened the door.

"Mister Jasper is in a meeting. You're welcome to wait in his room," she told me.

I thanked her before heading up to the fourth floor, which was generally designated as Jasper's own floor. I took a seat on the large couch and pulled out my phone. I had a new text message.

_Apparently, Jasper's habit had rubbed off onto me._

**What r u up 2? Im bored. :(**

I smiled to myself and quickly typed out a response.

**I'm at J's. Will I be seeing you tonight?**

My phone quickly vibrated again.

**Of course. ;)**

Sometimes, I couldn't even believe I was the same kid. I was flirting. Not just flirting but flirting via text messages. I felt like an actual high school student.

Before I could tuck my phone into my pocket, I saw a hand snatch it from me.

"Do you know what the wonderful thing about Blackberries is, Cullen?"

I looked up to find Jasper smirking at me. I shook my head.

"I can see your entire conversation. Just one fell swoop. And let me tell you: cute, real cute."

I felt the blush slowly creeping up my neck, but I fought it back before grabbing my phone back from him and shoving it away.

"Hey, hey, now. Don't get feisty. I was just commenting on how your little courtship of Bella was adorable."

"Shut up."

"Alright, no need to get defensive. Oh, and sorry about that. I had a meeting with my college counselor—parents' orders."

I nodded in understanding.

"Well, at least, I can get the tool to do most of my shit for me."

"Ah, lucky. My parents believe in good ol' fashioned regular students working. I already sent in an early action app to Yale."

"Oh, but when are we anything close to regular?"

"True that."

"Plus, if my dad thinks that I'm going to write all those essays for Penn myself, he's absolutely insane. If he wants me to go to his alma mater that fucking badly, he can write them himself."

"Oh, boys, please do not tell me you are talking about college?" a booming voice came from the elevator doors.

Emmett stepped out holding a large bottle of what I could only assume was some pricey alcohol.

"Sorry, bro. I just had a meeting with Tom."

"Ah, that man is getting me into Notre Dame."

"Dude, you guys are so fucking lazy. My parents are making me do all my own shit."

"Well, I still have to write like a general outline of what I want in my essays."

"Oh, I don't. I told him to have a field day. That shit's trife, so let's stop talking about it."

"Fine, Em. So what do you have there?"

"This, boys, is a thing of beauty. This is Courvoisier XO, some of the finest Cognac ever."

"Nice. Hold on. I got a few bottles of Blue Label last time I went through JFK."

Jasper left and returned with a large bottle in his hands.

"Landon's gonna flip a shit when he sees this. Blue Label kicks Black Label's fucking ass, and that kid definitely needs a liquid pick-me-up."

Emmett appraised the bottle. None of these alcohol names meant anything to me. I gave Jasper a questioning look.

_I thought he didn't drink._

"Calm down, Cullen. I'm not going to drink any. I can however appreciate a good bottle of blended scotch when I see one. I'm just bringing it for the others tonight."

"Speaking of tonight, what are our plans?"

"I think we are going to Alice's."

_For pregaming?_

"And then what afterwards?"

"Nothing. We're staying at Alice's."

"Like a party?"

Emmett and Jasper laughed.

"Yes, Cullen, like a party."

_I didn't know these kids had house parties._

"I know what you're thinking. But we're high school students, too. We like to occasionally actually act like them."

_Well, he very damn well did know what I was thinking._

"Oh, I talked with Alice on my way here. She told us to head over at around 8:30 to 9."

"Okay, so what do you guys want to do until then?"

"Go some place."

"Thanks, Emmett. You're so helpful. Go where? Goldbar?"

"No, too girly. I'm not stepping foot there unless there's a chick with us. I know there are tons of hot models there, but I still need like Alice or Rose there to justify us going there."

"Do you want to get drinks or get food?"

"Dude, does it look like we need drinks? We have some of the finest shit in our hands right now. I want food. Let's just go to Lombardi's. I could go for a monster pizza."

"Fair enough. It's a little early to get food. Want to chill out for right now? First games of college basketball season are starting."

"Nice. Is my school playing?"

"It isn't your school yet."

"Shut up. You're just jealous 'cause Penn has shit for a team."

"They go to the tourney occasionally."

"Only since one of the Ivies _has_ to."

"Whatever. You know well enough that Duke is my basketball team anyway."

"Yes, 'cause you're one of _those_."

"I don't know what that means, Emmett."

"Dukies. Like the Yankees of college basketball."

"You LIKE the Yankees."

"Because I'm from New York. Are you from fucking Durham, North Carolina?"

"I'm from the South."

"Then, you should like fucking Texas, not Duke."

"I do like the Longhorns, but Duke's my team."

"Fuck Duke."

"Fuck you."

I'm pretty sure my mouth was slightly agape at this point. One thing I had not picked up over these past two months was sporting lingo.

_As soon as I got a decent grip on baseball, they switch to college basketball?_

The two plopped down on the couch next to me, and Jasper turned on his large flatscreen TV. My eyes widened as he scrolled through his hundreds of channels. There were probably at least 50 different sports channels alone.

"I will never understand how people watched sports without HD," Emmett commented.

"Amen to that."

I sat there in silence still. I was still beyond awkward in these situations. Jasper changed the channel.

"Aw yeah, the Irish are playing!"

"They are going to lose."

"Don't say shit like that. It's blasphemy."

"It's true. UConn's going to annihilate them. I anticipate Calhoun and the Huskies doing magnificent things this season."

"Whatever."

"Denial."

"Dude, shut the fuck up!"

Emmett punched Jasper. Jasper raised an eyebrow.

"You may be bigger than me, but I can still kick your ass and you know it."

"I'd like to see you try."

At those words, Jasper launched at Emmett. Though Emmett's size came him an obvious advantage, Jasper was quick and agile. Before Emmett or I could see him, he had locked Emmett's arms behind his back and shoved Emmett face down on the ground.

"Bro, let up!"

Jasper smirked and let him go. Emmett shook himself off before taking a seat back on the couch.

"Told you."

"Shut up."


End file.
